http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LFWE26SJ

“if users are unable to locate and seek permission from [copyright] owners… value cannot be generated.”

It goes on to suggest a light touch being adopted for “orphan works”, where the owners are hard to identify. Unfortunately, many of the your recordings do have a parent - the BBC. But even the BBC itself has relied on copyright breaches to recover long lost works, such as uncovering private collections of Dads Army etc..

Furthermore, the internet itself means a) you are very hard to find and b) unless you are making money at someone else’s expense, you are likely to be left alone. The risks are quite minimal, save until the collecting societies get wind of you and take the same approach as TV licence inspectors.

We do, though, need to keep an eye on the orphan works position.

I’ve in fact sent my Dance Bands Demise article to dozens of execs at the BBC. It contains an entire Alan Dell show from 1979. As suspected, no one has forced me to remove it. I imagine they either did not read it nor did not care for one item.

However, as there is no commercial value in such recordings, it may not be as hard to get beyond copyright issues as you might expect.

I very much hope one day your wonderful collection will be accessible to all, ideally on a BBC station which replaces the ailing 6 Music.

I should add that rumours are rife that the days of 6 Music are numbered, but we have nothing to support this as mere speculation regarding in light of the very poor listening figures for the station.

Brian - thanks for your contributions to not just this site, but to the good music cause.

Whilst in my website, have a look under ‘Links’, where you will find contact details for a society called O.R.C.A (Old-time Radio programme Collectors Association).
They have about 6000 vintage radio shows for hire, including many from my collection. Membership is £6 per year and you can hire the CDs/cassettes for £1.50 a time. This is to cover postage and packing. Apparently the most requested recordings for hire are ‘Music While You Work’ of which they have about 150 complete editions by artists such as Harry Leader,Nat Temple, Jack White, Primo Scala, Harold Collins, Louis Voss, George Scott-Wood and many others. Why not give them a try?

I have some earlier recordings of Ken Bruce when he looked after the breakfast show back in the early 1990s (not Wogan’s slot but the one he took over from Chris Stuart). He played a number of easy and light (ish) items back then, and one of these was a Ray Conniff track about which he commented “this is an unusual way for Ray Conniff to end a track, as Ray usually ended with the longest note in history”. So he clearly knows his easy listening. Back in those days he seemed to have more freedom to be himself and is an extremely talented and funny broadcaster. He seems to be an underappreciated broadcaster. He also used to do a show called the “Radio Orchestra presents”, and he introduced a couple of magical shows in which the Radio Orchestra played Bob Farnon arragnements and compositions. I’m glad I still have these and will post them here soon.

I’m really upset by the change in music policy for Friday Night Is Music Night. It used to have a “grand” feel about it, and Robin Boyle made you feel welcome and that the show really was for everyone. I’ll still listen if Ken Bruce introduces it, even if it has taken the same celebrity path as everything else on the station, and now must feature TV-singing-competition rejects and middle of the road popstars. I don’t want to start the Claire Teal argument over again, but I really don’t enjoy her’s or Aled Jones’ style of presenting. Maybe that’s just my personal preference.

I also agree with everything Brian Reynolds says. If only we could have a station that consists of his collection of radio shows - now that would be something worth listening to!

Paul @ Radiocafe

I particulary agree with the sentiment of exposure leads to attachment, and that this can only happen in a meaningful way with music that is tuneful and properly constructed.

The fascination of the BBC Radio 2 with audience figures and “profile” tends to prevent airtime being given over to music that needs more consideration and reflective appreciation (although i must confess I do find the music of the dance bands immediately pleasing!)

I strongly believe that if you play good (and bad) stuff often enough, it will ccreate its own audience. Angel Radio is a case in point: the output is so good, that know of many people outside of its FM catchment area and “age-profile”, who thoroughly enjoy it.

As for the disc-jocks, Ken Bruce is an interesting point: all through the week he has to play the usual drivel but seems to relish Friday Night Is Music Night and revealed his true musical tastes (closer to our own) a few weeks ago on Radio 4 music quiz. All might not yet be lost……?

RDS

The replacement of studio based shows, outside broadcasts etc. with facetious disc-jockeys with a pile of records was hardly progress. Indeed, one would have expected record dominated programmes during the war - but the BBC didn’t succumb to such a temptation, they provided a magnificent variety of entertaining programmes. Although I wasn’t born till 1942 and have no first-hand recollection of them, I do have some editions of ‘Radio Times’ from those days and the schedules were mouth-watering!

People tend to form a musical attachment to the type of music to which they are first exposed. Many young people will have no idea what a light orchestra or dance band sounds like, let alone know the repertoire - literally thousands of well-constructed pieces written by experts, are now never heard. I have introduced my sort of music to friends in their forties, and they too have become hooked on it. I belong to Societies such as the Robert Farnon Society and the Light Music Society whose members (in various age groups) yearn for the return of tuneful music to the airwaves. As a brass band enthusiast I sometimes see groups of teenagers sitting attentively by bandstands, clearly appreciating what they hear and, no doubt having suddenly been made aware of the existance of such music.

Such ‘token programmes’ that remain on Radio2, as a nod towards its older listeners who recall better times, are not what they used to be. ‘Listen to the Band’ has become somewhat elitist (on the occasions when it actually features a studio band) and ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ not only plays little true light music, but is often hijacked to feature a particular pop singer! Not my taste, but at least it is live and not on records.

Despite the BBC Trust report, it is unlikely that we shall get a return to the live music of yesteryear, but maybe something along the lines of Brian Kay’s Light Programme would be a possibility. Let’s hope so !

It would take a lifetime digging through charity shops to find these albums. Plus many of the Capitol CDs sound far better than the original UK releases of Capitol LPs. This is especially true of some of the albums by Nat and Frank - some of the CD re-issues are just gorgeous - some of the vinyl is lousy (never mind the low quality later pressings on thin vinyl!).

When it comes to earlier music (e.g. 1930s), you’re at the mercy of whoever restored the audio on a given re-issue as to whether it sounds fantastic, or like it’s playing through an old sock! At least with Spotify, you can click through countless compilations (e.g. Paul Whiteman: 380 tracks) for free, without having to buy several dud LP or CD re-issues before you find a decent one.

I still find playing records to be great fun - I have 78s and gramophones, which is a whole different experience. But for actually enjoying the _music_ (rather than the experience of listening to recorded music the way people did years ago), we’ve never had it so good!

Cheers,
David.

When I’m not delving into Radio 4 I quite often listen to my local cummunity station which is aimed at the over 60’s in the Havant area in Hampshire. They play just about anything that was recorded before 1960 (their cut off point) and have a wonderful slogan “the station with plent of Snap, Crackle but definitely no Pop”. It is run by local volunteers who have a wonderful knowledge of the stuff they play and impart this to the listeners. I sounds, and I expect is so amateurish in it’s presentation it’s a joy to listen to.

Anyone wishing to sample this station, maybe some of you already have, go here. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

http://angelradio.moonfruit.com/